1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a function for providing effective guidance on operation procedures for fixing a failure when the failure relating to image formation such as paper jam occurs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses that provide guidance on operation procedures for fixing a failure to users when a failure such as a paper jam occurs on a conveyance path by displaying the area where the failure has occurred and troubleshooting procedures on a display screen of an operation panel have been known, as discussed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-69223.
In recent years, reduction in costs of image forming apparatuses has also been made. For example, an image forming apparatus having a sensor for detecting open or close of a cover of a document conveying device provided in the image forming apparatus, in which the sensor also serves as another sensor to simplify the structure and thereby reducing the costs, has been proposed as discussed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-120534. Generally, only a minimum number of sensors is provided in the low-cost image forming apparatuses. Consequently, for example, with respect to a failure such as the paper jam, the apparatuses often are structured so that the jammed recording sheet can be easily found without using the sensors.
The image forming apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-69223 displays moving images showing a series of operation procedures to fix a paper jam at each operation of a forward key on an operation panel. Consequently, until the user checks the last operation procedure, the paper jam is not fixed. Also in the image forming apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-120534, the number of the remaining operation procedures for fixing the paper jam and the guidance for instructing the next operation are displayed. Consequently, the user is required to check the operation procedures to the last operation procedure.
In image forming apparatuses having simple structures achieving low costs, without using sensors, the cause of the failure can be often easily found. Accordingly, if a technique as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-96223 is applied to those image forming apparatuses, the user may not maintain the motivation to check the plurality of operation procedures displayed on the operation panel to the last operation procedure. This may cause stress to the user. Especially, in an image forming apparatus employing a method in which fixing of a paper jam is checked by resetting a document on a document conveying device, until the display of resetting the document displayed as the last operation procedure is displayed, the user cannot know that the user has reached the last operation procedure. In such a case, the user may not fix the paper jam.
Such a problem may widely occur in failure relating to image formation other than the paper jam.
The present invention has been made to provide, without causing stress to users, a operation supporting technique for an image forming apparatus for providing effective guidance on operation procedures to fix a failure when the failure relating to image formation occurs.